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LIBRARY 

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THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE  NECESSITY    FOR    A    REORGANIZATION 

OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

OF  LATTER  DAY  SAINTS. 

BY  ELDER  HYRUM  CK  SMITH. 

Herald  Publishing  House,  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter  Day  Saints,  Lamoni,  Decatur  Co., 
Iowa. 

EVERYWHERE  I  go  in  Utah  I  am  confronted  with  the 
question,  "What  was  and  is  the  need  of  a  Reorgan- 
ization?" It  is  a  pertinent  question,  one  of  vital 
importance  to  all  Latter  Day  Saints.  Calling 
names,  or  denominating  this  one  or  that  one  an 
apostate,  will  do  no  good,  but  simply  engender 
bitterness  and  remove  farther  away  the  ones  we 
wish  to  reach  and  benefit;  but  none  should  object 
to  being  examined  by  what  we  find  written  in  the 
books;  in  fact  there  cannot  be  any  other  way  to 
Vidg<3  and  decide  the  question. 

An  apostate  is  one  who  has  departed  from  a 
formulated  system  of  belief  or  doctrine;  and  where 
such  formulated  belief  or  doctrine  is  known,  it 
forms  the  only  criterion  by  which  to  judge.  All 
Latter  Day  Saints  will  agree  that  the  Church  of 
Christ  was  duly  and  properly  organized  on  April  6, 
1830,  and  that  it  moved  along  with  great  prosperity 
until  June  27,  1844,  when  its  earthly  leader  was 
killed.  Prom  that  time  it  was  scattered.  Most  of 
the  different  fragments  have  become  extinct; 
either  going  back  upon  the  faith  entirely,  or  join- 
Ing  in  with  one  of  *the  two  organizations:  some 
with  that  in  Utah,  some  with  that  known  as  the 
Reorganization;  until  the  contention  now  lies  be- 
tween these  two  organizations  as  to  which  correctly 
represents  the  original  church. 

GOD'S  WORD  THE  CRITERION. 

My  examination  of  the  question  at  the  head  of 
this  article  and  as  to  who  departed  from  -the  faith 
will  be  confined  to  the  examination  of  doctrines 
presented  by  the  Utah  Church,  as  it  is  that  church 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

that  has  constantly  propounded  this  question  to  me. 
Other  churches  have  what  they  call  their  disci- 
pline; Latter  Day  Saints  have  the  Book  of  Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  which  answers  the  same  purpose 
setting  forth  the  doctrine  and  usages  of  the  church! 
Other  church  disciplines  are  man-made  and  can  be 
changed;  ours  we  claim  is  God-made  and  cannot  be 
changed  any  more  than  God  can  change.  So  we 
nave  a  sufficiently  reliable  and  certain  unchanging 
rule  by  which  to  examine  and  determine  what  is 
true  and  what  is  false  doctrine;  and  to  show  that 
the  above  is  true  we  quote  from  that  authoritative 
standard:— 

"And  again,  the  elders,  priests,  and  teachers  of 
this  church  shall  teach  the  principles  of  my  gospel 
which  are  in  the  Bible  and  the  Book  of  Mormon 
in  the  which  is  the  fullness  of  the  gospel;  and  they 
shall  observe  the  covenants  and  church  articles  to 
do  them,  and  these  shall  be  their  teachings  " 

"Thou  shalt  take  the  things  which  thou  hast 
received,  which  have  been  given  unto  thee  in  my 
scriptures  for  a  law,  to  be  my  law^  to  govern  my 
church;  and  he  that  doeth  according  to  these 
things,  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  doeth  them  not 
shall  be  damned,  if  he  continues."— Doctrine  and 
Covenants  42:5, 16.  (Utah  edition  42: 12, 13,  593  60  ) 

This  plainly  sets  forth  the  fact  that  we  must  look 
to  the  Bible,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  for  the  doctrine  or  laws  of 
the  church;  and  condemnation  is  pronounced  upon 
the  one  who  departs  from  them  if  he  indorses  that 
departure. 

Especially  are  these  three  books  made  the  cri- 
terion by  which  the  successor  of  the  original 
founder  of  the  church  was  to  be  judged.  Speaking 
of  Joseph  Smith,  the  Lord  says:— 

"I  have  given  him  the  keys  of  the  mysteries  and 
the  revelations,  which  are  sealed,  until  I  shall 
appoint  another  in  his  stead." 

Then  follows  the  statement: — 

"And  again,  thou  shalt  take  thy  brother  Hiram 
Page  between  him  and  thee  alone,  and  tell  him 
that  those  things  which  he  hath  written  from  that 


NECESSITY  FOR  A   REORGANIZATION.  b 

Bl,one  are  not  of  me,  and  Satan  deceiveth  him;  for, 
behold,  these  things  have  not  been  appointed  unto 
him;  neither  shall  anything  be  appointed  unto  any 
of  this  church  contrary  to  the  church  covenants, 
for  all  things  must  be  done  in  order  and  by  common 
consent  in  the  church,  by  the  prayer  of  faith." — 
D.  C.  27: 2,  4.  (Utah  edition  28:  7,  12,  13.) 

THE  SUCCESSOR  TO  JOSEPH  SMITH  THE  MARTYR. 

What  do  the  church  covenants  say  in  regard  to 
the  matter  of  a  successor  to  Joseph  Smith?  I  read: — 

"But  verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  noue  else 
shall  be  appointed  unto  this  gift  except  it  be 
through  him,  for  if  it  be  taken  from  him  he  shall 
not  have  power,  except  to  appoint  another  in  his 
stead;  and  this  shall  be  a  law  unto  you,  that  ye 
receive  not  the  teachings  of  any  that  shall  come 
before  you  as  revelations,  or  commandments;  and 
this  I  give  unto  you,  that  you  may  not  be  deceived, 
that  you  may  know  they  are  not  of  me.  For  verily 
I  say  unto  you,  that  he  that  is  ordained  of  me,  sharil 
come  in  at  the  gate  and  be  ordained  as  I  have  told 
you  before,  to  teach  those  revelations  which  you 
have  received,  and  shall  receive  through  him 
whom  I  have  appointed."— D.  C.  43:2.  (Utah 
edition  43: 4-7.) 

There  are  several  points  in  the  above:  The  first 
is  that  no  one  is  to  be  recognized  as  leader  to  the 
church  and  successor  to  the  prophet  unless  he  is 
appointed  by  Joseph  Smith  himself;  the  second 
(and  the  one  I  consider  of  the  greatest  importance) 
is  that  the  one  appointed  to  succeed  the  then 
leader  of  the  church  was  to  be  ordained  for  an 
especial  purpose;  viz.,  "To  teach  those  revelations 
which  you  have  received,  and  shall  receive  through 
him  whom  I  have  appointed." 

This  is  a  phase  of  the  question  that  has  been 
entirely  ignored  by  Utah  Church  writers.  They 
have  considered  the  call  that  comes  to  a  man  suffi- 
cient to  sanctify  him,  and  that  henceforth  he 
should  be  above  criticism,  so  far  as  his  teaching 
and  practice  are  concerned;  or  in  the  language  of 
another:  "Deeming  the  upright  conduct  as  a 


4  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

matter  easily    dispensed  with  if  so  be  they  are 
called." 

JOSEPH  SMITH'S  TEACHINGS  ON  PRIESTHOOD. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gi<jes  his  views  upon 
that  question  in  a  letter  found  in  the  Millennial 
Star,  volume  17,  page  85;  (see  also  in  the  Utah 
edition  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  page  423,) 
which  reads  as  follows:— 

"Behold,  there  are  many  called, but  few  are  chosen. 
And  why  are  they  not  chosen?  Because  their 
hearts  are  set  so  much  upon  the  things  of  this  world, 
and  aspire  to  the  honors  of  men,  that  they  do  not 
learn  this  one  lesson— That  the  rights  of  the  priest- 
hood are  inseparably  connected  with  the  powers  of 
heaven,  and  that  the  powers  of  heaven  cannot  be 
controlled  nor  handled  only  upon  the  principles  of 
righteousness.  That  they  may  be  conferred  upon 
us,  it  is  true;  but  when  we  undertake  to  cover  our 
sins,  or  to  gratify  our  pride,  or  vain  ambition,  or  to 
exercise  control,  or  dominion,  or  compulsion,  upon 
the  souls  of  the  children  of  men,  in  any  degree  of 
unrighteousness,  behold,  the  heavens  withdraw 
themselves;  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  grieved;  and 
when  it  is  withdrawn  amen  to  the  priesthood,  or  tllie 
authority  of  that  man.  Behold  I  ere  he  is  aware, 
he  is  left  unto  himself,  to  kick  against  the  pricks; 
to  persecute  the  saints,  and  to  fight  against  God. 

"We  have  learned,  by  sad  experience,  that  it  Is 
the  nature  and  disposition  of  almost  all  men,  as 
soon  as  they  get  a  little  authority,  as  they  suppose, 
they  willt  immediately  begin  to  exercise  unright- 
eous dominion.  Hence  many  are  called,  but  few 
are  chosen." 

In  this  we  are  plainly  given  to  understand 
that  the  approval  of  our  work  by  God  and  the  re- 
cognition of  our  acts  officially  will  not  depend 
entirely  upon  our  call,  but  upon  the  righteousness 
with  which  we  use  the  power  given  us.  So  with 
the  one  ordained  and  appointed  to  succeed  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  He  was  to  teach  those  revelations 
already  given  as  well  as  to  receive  revelations  to 
govern  the  church  in  the  future;  and  even  in  the 


NECESSITY  FOB  A  REORGANIZATION.  5 

receiving  of  future  revelations  nothing  was   to  be 
given  contrary  to  the  church  covenants. 

BRIGHAM  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS  TESTED. 

We  shall  uow  proceed  to  examine  the  claims  of 
Brigham  Young  and  his  successors  by  the  above, 
ignoring  entirely  the  pompous  claim  made  by  his 
followers  concerning  his  supposed  transfiguration 
before  the  people,  wherein  he  is  said  to  have 
appeared  and  spoken  as  the  Prophet  Joseph,  a 
transaction  that  has  more  of  the  appearance  of 
spiritualism  than  of  anything  else,  or  an  exhibi- 
tion of  his  powers  of  imitation  and  mimicry,  in 
which  those  who  knew  him  claim  he  was  an  adept. 

We  will  simply  call  attention  to  the  fact,  in  pass- 
ing, that  Brigham  Young  never  claimed  to  have 
been  officially  appointed  by  Joseph  Smith  as  his 
successor;  so  in  that  be  claimed  something  had 
been  appointed  to  him  contrary  to  the  church  cove- 
nants, which  declares  that  no  one  shall  be  ap- 
pointed except  it  be  through  Joseph,  and  even 
though  he  should  so  far  transgress  as  to  lose  his 
prophetic  power,  that  he  would  still  retain  the 
power  to  appoint  another  in  his  stead;  and  that 
this  should  be  a  law  unto  the  church.  Here  was 
departure  number  one.  The  main  departure  from 
the  faith,  or  that  which  at  least  made  every  other 
departure  possible  was  Brigham  Young's  council 
tending  to  the  ignoring  of  the  written  word  and 
placing  the  "living  oracles"  above  that  which  was 
written.  This  seems  to  have  been  a  common  error 
into  which  men  have  fallen  in  the  past.  The  Jew- 
ish nation  relied  more  upon  their  Rabbis  than 
upon  the  law,  and  the  tradition  of  the  elders  be- 
came a  stumblingblock  to  their  acceptance  of 
Christ.  Brigham  Young  was  a  shrewd  man  in 
some  respects.  He  saw  the  love  the  people  had  for 
their  martyred  leader,  and  saw  that  nothing  could 
be  forced  upon  them,  unless  it  bore  at  least  his  im- 
plied approval;  consequently,  every  measure,  no 
matter  how  absurd,  was  given  to  the  people  as  one 
of  Joseph's  measures.  One  is  forcibly  reminded  of 
some  of  the  transactions  of  the  Jewish  Rabbis,  as 


NECESSITY   FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

found  in  the  Talmud.  Rev.  Bernbard  Pick  in  hia 
work,  "The  Talmud,  What  It  Is?"  relates  the 
manner  in  which  one  Hillel,  a  Babylonian,  ob- 
tained favor  of  the  Jews  and  became  the  leading: 
Rabbi  in  his  day. 

"On  the  death  of  Shemaiah  and  Abtalion  there 
were  no  qualified  successors  to  take  their  place  and 
two  sons  of  Bethera,  otherwise  unknown,  occupied 
it  for  a  time.  They  were  discussing  one  of  the 
trivial  ceremonial  questions  of  the  day.  It  was  the 
grave  problem  (as  it  seemed  to  them)  as  to  whether 
the  Paschal  lamb  might  be  killed  on  the  Sabbath. 
In  their  perplexity  they  asked,  'Was  there  none 
present  who  had  been  the  disciple  of  the  two  who 
had  been  so  honored?'  (viz.,  Shemaiah  and  Abta- 
lion.) The  question  was  answered  by  Hillel,  the 
Babylonian.  He  solved  the  difficulty  with  reasons 
from  analogy,  from  the  text  and  from  the  context. 
They  refused  his  decision  until  he  ended  by  saying: 
'Thus  have  I  heard  from  my  masters  Shemaiah 
and  Abtalion.'  Having  before  been  regarded  as  a 
stranger  from  Babylon  he  was  now  welcomed  as 
chief."— The  Talmud,  What  Is  It?  page  18. 

So  Brigham  Young  knew  the  power  of  the  name 
of  Joseph  Smith,  and  used  it  for  all  it  was  worth; 
and  no  measure  failed  to  carry  if  it  was  backed  up 
by  the  statement  that  "Joseph  said  this,"  or  "Jo- 
seph said  that." 

DEPARTURE  NO.  1. 

As  a  proof  of  his  ignoring  the  written  word,  and 
thereby  forever  establishing  the  fact  that  he  was 
not  the  one  to  succeed  the  Prophet,  let  us  read 
from  the  trial  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  as  published  in 
the  Times  and  Seasons,  volume  5,  the  extracts  we 
quote  being  found  on  pages  647-666.  The  dishon- 
esty and  cunning  of  the  man  are  displayed  in  the 
use  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith's  names  in  connec- 
tion with  the  measures  of  the  Twelve.  This  is 
found  on  page  647.  His  unfair  statement  of  the 
case  is  as  follows: — 

"The  business  of  the  day  will  result  in  this  thing: 
all  those  who  are  for  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  the  Book 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  7 

of  Mormon,  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  the 
Temple  and  Joseph's  measures,  and  for  the  Twelve; 
they  being  one  party;  will  be  called  upon  to  mani- 
fest their  principles  openly  and  boldly.  Then  we 
wish  all  who  are  of  the  opposite  parties  to  enjoy  the 
same  liberty,  and  to  be  as  decided  and  bold,  and  to 
show  their  principles  as  boldly,  and  be  as  decided 
as  they  are  in  their  secret  meetings  and  private 
councils.  -If  they  are  for  Sidney  Rigdon  and  be- 
lieve he  is  the  man  to  be  the  first  president  and 
the  leader  of  this  people,  we  wish  them  to  manifest 
it  as  freely  as  they  do  in  other  places;  because  this 
will  form  anotlier  party. 

"We  want  all  those  who  are  for  Lyman  Wight 
and  his  measures,  to  show  themselves  openly  and 
boldly;  and  all  those  for  James  Emmett  and  his 
measures,  to  show  themselves.  We  wish  them  to 
withdraw  to-day  without  fear  and  to  be  as  bold 
here  as  they  are  in  other  places.  They  may  as 
well  show  themselves  boldly,  for  I  know  where 
they  live,  and  I  know  their  names:  I  can  point 
them  out  if  necessary." 

Notice  here,  that  he  says  the  Twelve  are  for  the 
Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  for  Joseph,  Hy- 
rum,  the  Book  of  Mormon,  etc.;  and  he  says  that 
all  are  at  liberty  to  vote  against  them  if  they  please, 
but  they  must  do  so  evidently  at  their  peril.  If 
you  will  turn  to  pages  665  and  666  you  will  read 
that  after. a  number  had  spoken  against  Sidney 
Rigdon  that  there  is  a  call  made  for  anyone  that 
wishes  to  speak  in  favor: — 

"President  William  Marks  arose  and  said  he 
felt  disposed  to  say  a  few  words  in  defense  of  Elder 
Rigdon.  There  has  been  a  strong  team  against 
him.  They  all  seem  to  speak  against  him  and 
there  is  nothing  said  in  his  favor.  I  feel  to  take 
up  the^opposite  side  of  the  question  and  say  some- 
thing in  his  defense,  for  I  have  always  been  a 
friend  to  Elder  Rigdon.  It  has  always  been  the 
case  before  this  High  Council,  that  there  are  two 
sides  to  the  question;  there  are  some  to  speak  in 
favor  of  the  accused,  but  there  seems  to  be  only  one 
Bide  to  this  subject.  There  has  been  many  things 


8  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

said  which  I  know  nothing  about.  But  as  it  has 
always  been  the  case  before  the  High  Council  that 
some  should  speak  in  the  defense  of  the  accused,  I 
feel  to  volunteer  to  speak  in  his  behalf.  It  is  no 
more  than  right  that  both  sides  should  be  repre- 
sented. I  don't  wish  to  justify  any  man  in  an  er- 
ror, but  there  is  a  trial  before  this  church  and 
council." 

Then  follows  an  argument  in  behalf  of  Elder  Rig- 
don,  in  which  Elder  Marks  brings  to  his  aid  copious 
extracts  from  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 
And  upon  consulting  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants 
we  find  that  Elder  Marks  was  right  in  insisting 
that  some  one  should  speak  in  behalf  of  the  ac- 
cused. In  section  99  (102  Utah  edition),  the  minutes 
of  the  organization  of  the  High  Council  are  given, 
and  we  read  there  that  the  council  is  to  be  equally 
divided  and  numbered: — 

"Those  councilors  who  draw  even  numbers,  that 
is,  2,  4,  6,  8,  10,  and  12  are  the  individuals  who  are 
to  stand  up  in  the  behalf  of  the  accused,  and  pre- 
vent insult  or  injustice." 

In  reply  to  this  straightforward,  manly  speech 
Brigham  Young  says,  page  666:— 

"I  have  known  that  Brother  Marks  'had  no  svi- 
dence  but  the  written  word;'  but  if  this  people 
have  no  evidence  but  the  written  word,  it  is  quite 
time  to  go  to  the  river  and  be  baptized  for  the  re- 
mission of  their  sins.  .  .  .  Brother  Marks  says,  if 
there  are  any  ordained  to  offices  equal  with  Elder 
Rigdon  he  don't  know  it.  He  don't  know  all  the 
ordinations,  nor  be  won't  till  he  knows  something 
more  than  the  written  word."  .  .  . 

"As  to  a  person  not  knowing  more  than  the  writ- 
ten word,  let  me  tell  you  that  there  are  keys  that 
the  written  word  never  spoke  of,  nor  never  will." 

This  illustrates  how  much  Brigham  was  in 
accord  with  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants 
and  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Although  he  had  just 
stated  that  the  Twelve,  Joseph,  and  Hyrum,  and 
these  two  books  formed  one  party,  just  as  soon  as 
Elder  Marks  used  the  books  against  him,  he  re- 
pudiated that  which  is  written;  and  instead  of 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  9 

agreeing  with  the  word  which  says  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  contains  the  fullness  of  the  gospel,  he 
said,  "There  are  keys  which  the  written  word 
never  spoke  of,  nor  never  will."  I  agree  with 
Brother  Brigham  that  his  religious  philosophy  at 
least  contains  things  that  God's  written  word  never 
spoke  of;  but  pardon  me  if  I  do  not  believe  that  he, 
Joseph,  Hyrum,  and  the  books  form  one  party;  I 
must  look  elsewhere  for  a  more  consistent  mixture. 
Surely  the  reader  can  see  that  whatever  the  call  of 
Brigham  Young  may  have  been,  he  failed  to  carry 
it  out  in  accordance  with  righteousness  and  true 
holiness. 

DEPARTURE  NO.   2. 

To  show  that  this  departure  is  still  maintained 
and  counseled  in  the  Utah  Church,  I  quote  from 
speeches  of  men  who  are  supposed  to  be  representa- 
tive men  in  that  organization.  Elder  Joseph  E.  Tay- 
lor, counselor  to  Angus  M.  Cannon,  President  of  the 
Salt  Lake  Stake,  said  in  a  speech  made  in  a  priest- 
hood meeting  held  in  Salt  Lake  City,  the  minutes 
of  which  appeared  in  the  Semi-  Weekly  Deseret  News, 
of  August  7,  1894:— 

"That  he  deprecated  the  conduct  of  certain  per- 
sons, members  of  the  church,  who  were  always 
judging  and  criticising  their  leaders  by  what  was 
written  in  the  books,  placing  the  dead  letter  above 
the  living  oracles.  He  showed  that  the  written 
word,  being  a  record  of  the  past,  was  not  always 
applicable  to  present  conditions.  Hence  the  ne- 
cessity of  inspired  leaders,  whose  teachings  had  the 
precedence  of  instructions  given  under  other  cir- 
cumstances and  conditions." 

Elder  Abraham  H.  Cannon,  one  of  the  Apostles 
of  the  Utah  Church,  in  a  sermon  delivered  in  the 
Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  at  the  October  confer- 
ence of  1894,  is  reported  in  the  daily  News  as  fol- 
lows:— 

* 'Elder  Cannon  said  he  desired  to  speak  against 
a  spirit  that  had  been  growing  to  some  extent 
among  some  of  the  younger  members  of  this  church 
who  had  given  their  time  to  the  study  of  theology. 


10  NECESSITY  FOR  A   REORGANIZATION. 

There  was  a  danger  against  which  they  should 
guard  themselves,  and  this  lay  in  a  disposition  to- 
ward a  criticism  of  the  doctrines  of  the  church  as 
presented  by  the  living  authorities.  When  any 
counsel  came  from  President  Woodruff  which 
seemed  to  be  in  conflict  with  the  written  word  of 
God,  we  should  follow  the  living  oracles,  and  the 
time  would  come  when  we  would  appreciate  a 
reconciliation  of  these." 

Honest  criticism  never  hurts  the  truth  nor  the 
true  man.  Dishonest  criticism  hurts  only  the  man 
who  uses  it;  so  why  wait  for  a  reconciliation?  Such 
doctrine  and  teaching  as  this  opened  the  door  for 
all  manner  of  evil  and  was  and  is  the  direct  cause 
of  every  departure  from  the  faith. 

The  Jewish  Rabbis  before  alluded  to,  were  sup- 
posed by  their  followers  to  be  infallible  in  their 
decisions  and  counsels,  and  on  one  occasion  Hillel 
and  Shammai  gave  their  decisions  on  the  question 
of  whether  an  egg  laid  upon  the  Sabbath  day  could 
be  lawfully  eaten,  and  it  happened  that  in  this 
famous  dispute  about  the  egg,  as  in  similar  ones, 
Hillel  was  right  against  Shammai.  Here  was  a 
dilemma:  the  Jews  had  been  committed  to  the 
doctrine  of  infallibility  for  their  Rabbis,  so  it  is 
reported  that  a  voice  was  heard  from  heaven  say- 
ing: "The  words  of  both  are  the  words  of  the  liv- 
ing God,  but  the  rule  of  the  school  of  Hillel  is  to 
be  followed."—  "The  Talmud,  What  It  Is,"  page  24. 

Some  such  method  as  this  would  have  to  be  re- 
sorted to  in  reconciling  the  teachings  of  the  Utah 
church  leaders  with  the  written  word,  but  it  is  not 
satisfactory  to  the  honest  seeker  after  truth;  and  I 
must  confess  that  I  am  cot  so  constituted  that  I 
can  appreciate  it. 

RULES  OF  CHURCH  SET  ASIDE. 

We  next  notice  the  manner  in  which  men  are  ex- 
pelled from  the  church,  and  in  which  difficulties 
are  settled  between  members: — 

"And  if  thy  brother  or  sister  offend  thee,  thou 
shalt  take  him  or  her  between  him  or  her  and 
thee  alone;  and  if  he  or  she  confess,  thou  shalt  be 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  11 

reconciled.  And  if  he  or  Fhe  confess  not,  thou 
shalt  deliver  him  or  her  up  unto  the  church,  not  to 
the  members,  but  to  the  elders.  And  it  shall  be 
done  in  a  meeting,  and  that  not  before  the  world." 
— D.  C.  42:23.  (Utah  edition  42:88,  89.)  This 
agrees  substantially  with  Christ's  teachings  in 
Matthew  18:15-17:— 

* 'Moreover  if  thy  brother  shall  trespass  against 
thee,  go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thee  and 
him  alone:  if  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained 
thy  brother.  But  if  he  will  not  hear  thee,  then 
take  with  thee  one  or  two  more,  that  in  the  mouth 
of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  be  estab- 
lished. And  if  he  neglect  to  hear  them,  tell  it 
unto  the  church:  but  if  he  neglect  to  hear  the 
church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  a  heathen  man  and 
a  publican." 

Let  us  see  how  Brigham  Young  and  h;s  col- 
leagues carried  out  this  just  and  holy  principle. 
We  turn  again  to  the  trial  of  Sidney  Rigdon.  The 
church  was  in  a  condition  when  if  she  ever  needed 
to  be  handled  with  care  and  her  subjects  in  a  law- 
ful manner  it  was  then.  Hearts  were  bleeding 
over  the  severe  blow  that  the  church  had  received 
in  the  murder  of  those  whom  they  were  wont  to 
look  upon  as  their  leaders  and  counselors.  They 
needed  to  be  patiently  and  lovingly  led  and  piloted 
through  this  the  darkest  hour  and  the  heaviest 
trial  that  they  had  yet  had  to  pass  through.  Their 
martyred  prophet  had  instructed  them  in  the  way 
the  powers  of  the  priesthood  should  be  exercised. 
Hear  him: — 

"No  power  or  influence  can  or  ought  to  be  main- 
tained by  virtue  of  the  priesthood,  only  by  persua- 
sion^ by  long  suffering,  by  gentleness,  and  by  love 
unfeigned;  by  kindness,  and  pure  knowledge, 
which  shall  greatly  enlarge  the  soul  without 
hypocrisy,  and  without  guiLe,  reproving  betimes 
with  sharpness,  when  moved  upon  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  then  showing  forth  afterwards  an  in- 
crease of  love  toward  him  whom  thou  hast  reproved, 
lest  he  esteem  thee  to  be  his  enemy:  that  he  may 
know  that  thy  faithfulness  is  stronger  than  the 


12  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

cords  of  death;  thy  bowels  also  being  full  of  charity 
towards  all  men,  and  to  the  household  of  faith,  and 
virtue  garnish  thy  thoughts  unceasingly,  then  shall 
thy  confidence  wax  strong  in  the  presence  of  God, 
and  the  doctrine  of  the  priesthood  shall  distill  upon 
thy  soul  as  the  dews  from  heaven.  The  Holy  Ghost 
shall  be  thy  constant  companion,  and  thy  scepter 
an  unchanging  scepter  of  righteousness  and  truth, 
and  thy  dominion  shall  bean  everlasting  dominion, 
and  without  compulsory  means  it  shall  flow  unto 
thee  forever  and  ever." — Mill.  Star,  vol.  17,  page  85. 
(Utah  Ed.  B.C.  p.  424.) 

Did  those  holding  the  priesthood  heed  these  wise 
teachings?  Let  the  record  of  events  answer.  Wil- 
liam Marks  was  dropped  from  his  quorum,  the  High 
Council  of  Nauvoo,  and  from  the  presidency  of  the 
stake,  for  no  other  reason  than  that  he  stood  up  in 
defense  of  Sidney  Kigdon  before  the  High  Council; 
a  thing  which  he  not  only  had  the  right  to  do,  but 
which  some  of  the  High  Council  are  in  duty  bound 
to  do,  the  law  governing  that  body  requiring  that 
half  of  its  members  shall  stand  in  defense  of  the 
accused. 

"Elder  S.  Bent  explained  and  said  the  reason 
why  the  High  Council  dropped  Elder  Marks,  was 
because  he  did  not  acknowledge  the  authority  of 
the  Twelve,  but  the  authority  of  Elder  Rigdon." — 
Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  5,  page  692. 

Again  we  read: — 

4 'Elder  W.  W.  Phelps  arose  and  offered  a  motion 
that  Elder  Sidney  Rigdon  be  cut  off  from  the 
church,  and  delivered  over  to  the  buffetings  of 
Satan  until  he  repents.  Bishop  Whitney  then 
presented  the  motion  to  the  High  Council,  and  the 
vote  was  unanimous  in  the  affirmative.  Elder  W. 
W.  Phelps  then  offered  the  same  motion  to  the 
church,  upon  which  President  Young  arose  and 
requested  the  congregation  to  place  themselves  so 
that  they  could  see  all  who  voted.  We  want  to 
know  who  goes  for  Sidney  and  who  are  for  the 
Twelve.  He  then  called  upon  the  church  to  signify 
whether  they  was  in  favor  of  the  motion.  The 
vote  waa  unanimous,  excepting  a  few  of  Elder 


NECESSITY  FOB  A  REORGANIZATION.  13 

Rigdon's  party  numbering  about  ten.  He  then  re- 
quested those  who  were  for  Sidney  Rigdon  to.  mani- 
fest it,  and  as  before-stated  there  was  about  ten. 
Elder  Phelps  then  motioned,  that  all  who  have 
voted  to  follow  Elder  Rigdon  should  be  suspended 
until  they  can  have  a  trial  before  the  High  Council. 
An  amendment  was  offered,  as  follows:  kor  shall 
hereafter  be  found  advocating  his  principles.'  The 
vote  was  unanimous  in  the  affirmative." — Ibid. 


Not  much  "long-suffering,  kindness,  and  love 
unfeigned"  about  that  proceeding  sure.  Not  only 
Is  the  above  instruction  in  regard  to  dealing  with 
offenders  entirely  ignored  here,  but  in  the  cutting 
off,  or  suspending  of  those  who  voted  in  the  nega- 
tive, one  of  the  very  foundation  laws  of  the  church 
was  violated. 

In  a  quotation  previously  made  from  section  27 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  (Sec.  28  Utah  edition)  the 
law  of  common  consent  is  laid  down: — 

"For  all  things  must  be  done  in  order  and  by 
common  consent  in  the  church  by  the  prayer  of 
faith." 

Here  were  two  parties  placed  before  the  church 
for  acceptance  or  rejection,  to  be  voted  upon  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  method  used  at  our  presi- 
dential elections  in  the  United  States;  and,  the 
majority  cites  the  minority  to  trial.  What  a  spec- 
tacle for  free  men  to  contemplate!  You  have  the 
right  to  vote  as  you  please,  but  remember  that  if 
you  do  not  vote  for  me,  I  will  have  you  up  before 
the  High  Council  and  cut  you  off  from  the  church 
if  you  don't  repent.  All  the  sacred  feelings  of  a 
man  who  loves  freedom  would  revolt  at  such  a 
spectacle;  and  yet  they  have  the  audacity  to  tell 
us  that  God  sanctioned  such  things,  and  chose 
the  very  men  who  not  only  permitted,  but  who 
abetted  the  wrong,  as  his  only  representatives  on 
earth.  My  mind  goes  back  to  a  statement  previ- 
ously quoted: — 

"When  we  undertake  to  cover  our  sins,  or  to 
gratify  our  pride,  our  vain  ambition,  or  to  exercise 


14  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

control,  or  dominion  or  compulsion,  upon  the  souls 
of  the  children  of  men,  in  any  degree  of  unright- 
eousness, behold  the  heavens  withdraw  themselves, 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  grieved;  and  when  it  is 
withdrawn,  amen  to  the  priesthood  of  that  man." 
But  the  chapter  does  not  end  here;  we  read  on: — 
"Elder  Hyde  arose  and  stated  that  Elder  Samuel 
James  had  promised  to  preach  a  funeral  sermon  at 
the  request  of  President  Young.  He  came  at  the 
time  appointed  and  preached  anything  but  a 
funeral  sermon,  and  after  he  got  through  he  said, 
if  Brigham  Young  wanted  a  funeral  sermon 
preached,  he  might  preach  it  himself.  He  consid- 
ered that  this  was  unchristianlike  conduct,  and  he 
moved  that  Samuel  James  be  disfellowshipped  from 
the  church.  The  vote  was  unanimous.  He  further 
said,  Whereas  Jared  Carter  has  gone  on  some  mis- 
sion, contrary  to  council,  under  the  new  revelation, 
I  move  that  fellowship  be  withdrawn  from  him, 
and  that  it  be  published  in  the  next  Neighbor  and 
Times  and  Seasons.  The  vote  was  unanimous. 
Elder  Amasa  Lyman  motioned  that  Samuel  Ben- 
nett be  cut  off  from  the  church,  for  having  re- 
ceived a  false  ordination.  The  vote  was 
unanimous.  Elder  Lyman  motioned  that  Leonard 
Soby  be  cut  off  for  the  same  cause,  with  Samuel 
Bennett.  Tho  vote  was  unanimous.  It  was  mo- 
tioned and  seconded,  that  Joseph  H.  Newton  be  cut 
off  from  the  church.  The  vote  was  unanimous. 
It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  John  A. 
Forgeus  be  cut  off  from  the  church.  The  vote  was 
unanimous." — Ibid,  page  687. 

In  none  of  these  cases  does  the  record  show  that 
the  accused  were  labored  with;  neither  does  it  show 
that  they  were  cited  to  trial,  nor  that  they  were  al- 
lowed to  speak  for  themselves;  nor  that  there  was 
a  chance  to  move  for  a  new  trial.  But  soap  judg- 
ment was  taken  upon  them,  and  in  the  last  two 
cases  not  even  the  formality  of  preferring  a  charge 
against  them  was  gone  through  with— all  contrary 
to  the  laws  and  usages  of  the  church.  Did  these 
men  who  that  day  sat  in  judgment  on  their  breth- 
ren correctly  represent  Christ,  who  is  "full  of  com- 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  15 

paseion,  and  gracious,  longsuffering,  and  plenteous 
in  mercy  and  truth"?  (Psalms  86: 15.) 

It  may  be  urged  that  these  were  extraordinary 
times  and  needed  extraordinary  measures;  but  thtre 
is  no  time  when  God's  law  can  be  trampled  upon 
without  suffering  loss;  and  the  more  extraordinary 
the  times  the  closer  should  men  have  adhered  to 
the  law  and  the  testimony.  There  is  special  pro- 
vision made  in  the  law  for  such  occasions  as  this 
under  consideration.  In  section  104,  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  (107,  Utah  edition)  we  read  of  the  organ- 
ization of  the  different  quorums  of  the  church. 
The  Presidency,  the  Twelve,  and  the  Seventy,  all 
equal  in  authority.  Specific  directions  are  given 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  decisions,  to  bo  binding 
on  the  church,  shall  be  made:  "And  every  decision 
made  by  either  of  these  quorums  must  be  by  the 
unanimous  voice  of  the  same;  that  is,  every  mem- 
ber in  each  quorum  must  be  agreed  to  its  decisions, 
in  order  to  make  their  decisions  of  the  same  power, 
or  validity  one  with  another.  (A  majority  may 
form  a  quorum,  when  circumstances  render  it  im- 
possible to  be  otherwise.)  Unless  this  is  the  case, 
their  decisions  are  not  entitled  to  the  same  bless- 
ings which  the  decisions  of  a  quorum  of  three 
presidents  were  anciently,  who  were  ordained  after 
the  order  of  Melchisedeo,  and  were  righteous  and 
holy  men.  The  decisions  of  these  quorums,  or 
either  of  them,  are  to  be  made  in  all  righteousness, 
in  holiness  and  lowliness  of  heart,  meekness  and 
long-suffering,  and  in  faith  and  virtue  and  knowl- 
edge; temperance,  patience,  godliness,  brotherly 
kindness  and  charity,  because  the  promise  is,  if 
these  things  abound  in  them,  they  shall  not  be 
unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord." 

I  am  not  going  to  deny  here  that  the  Twelve  had 
the  right  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  church  at 
the  time  of  Joseph  Smith's  death;  for  I  believe 
they  not  only  had  the  right,  but  that  the  law 
makes  it  their  specific  duty  to  do  so;  and  had  they 
not  attempted  to  stand  in  the  breach  at  that  time 
they  would  undoubtedly  have  been  subject  to  just 
censure;  but  I  do  deny  their  right  to  attempt  to 


10          NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

regulate  contrary  to  the  covenants  and  command- 
ments, and  the  rules  that  had  become  fixtures  in 
the  church  law,  not  only  by  the  command  of  God, 
but  also  by  having  been  accepted  by  the  church 
in  legislative  assembly. 

THE  MARTYR'S  STATEMENT,  ETC. 

That  the  church  needed  to  be  regulated  and  that 
it  was  trembling  to  its  fall,  I  learn  by  a  statement 
made  to  W.  W.  Phelps  by  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  in  a  letter  dated  November  27,  1832;  and 
which  partakes  of  the  nature  of  a  revelation  from 
God.  The  extract  I  wish  to  call  attention  to  is  as 
follows: — 

"Yea,  thus  saith  the  still  small  voice,  which 
whispereth  through  and  pierceth  all  things,  and 
oftentimes  it  maketh  my  bones  to  quake  while  it 
maketh  manifest,  saying:  'And  it  shall  come  to 
pass  that.l  the  Lord  God  will  send  one  mighty  and 
strong,  holding  the  scepter  of  power  in  his  hand, 
clothed  with  light  for  a  covering,  whose  mouth 
shall  utter  words,  eternal  words;  while  his  bowels 
shall  be  a  fountain  of  truth,  to  set  in  order  the  house 
of  God,  and  to  arrange  by  lot  the  inheritances  of 
the  saints,  whose  names  are  found,  and  the  names 
of  their  fathers,  and  of  their  children  enrolled  in 
the  book  of  the  law  of  God:  while  that  man,  who 
was  called  of  God  and  appointed,  that  putteth 
forth  his  hand  to  steady  the  ark  of  God,  shall  fall 
by  the  shaft  of  death,  like  a  tree  that  is  smitten  by 
the  vivid  shaft  of  lightning."—  Times  and  Seasons, 
vol.  5,  p.  673;  Millennial  Star,  vol.  14,  p.  284.  D.  C. 
Utah  Ed.  p.  301. 

Language  could  not  be  plainer  than  this,  and  the 
interpretation  could  not  be  surer  than  that  the  ark 
of  God— the  church— was  trembling  to  its  fall,  and 
that  the  man  of  God  chosen  and  appointed — Joseph 
Smith — would  put  forth  his  hand  to  steady  it  and 
in  that  act  would  be  smitten  suddenly.  One  of  the 
very  last  official  acts  of  Joseph  Smith  was  to  exer- 
cise his  appointed  right  to  designate  who  should  be 
his  successor,  and  following  out  the  covenants  and 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  17 

commandments,  appointed  and  anointed  one  from 
his  own  posterity  to  succeed  him,  and  while  he 
could  not  install  a  successor  while  he  himself  lived, 
he  could  and  did  designate  who  that  one  should  be; 
and  in  solemn  assembly  anointed  and  blessed  his 
eldest  son,  Joseph,  to  that  office,  conferring  upon 
him  all  the  powers  that  he  himself  held,  as  can 
amply  be  proven. 

It  is  true  that  B.  H.  Roberts,  of  the  Utah  Church, 
devotes  several  pages  of  his  book  on  "succession" 
to  attempting  to  prove  that  Joseph  never  conferred 
any  blessing  on  his  posterity,  except  to  will  them  a 
house  to  live  in;  but  George  Q.  Cannon,  in  a  ser- 
mon delivered  on  the  birthday  of  the  Prophet  in 
1894,  said  that  he  did,  and  instructed  the  people  of 
the  Utah  Church  to  make  the  matter  a  subject  of 
prayer  that  Joseph's  posterity  may  come  into  the 
inheritance  of  the  promised  blessing.  We  need  a 
voice  from  heaven  now  to  tell  us  which  to  follow, 
Rabbi  Cannon,  or  Rabbi  Roberts;  for  of  course  both 
must  be  right. 

PROMISES  CONCERNING  JOSEPH'S  SEED,  ETC. 

To  show  that  these  promises  were  made,  I  will 
quote.  Joseph  says  in  his  history:  "December  6. 
1832,  I  received  the  following:  [Then  follows  the 
revelation  explaining  the  parable  of  the  wheat  and 
the  tares;  and  in  that  revelation  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing:] 'Therefore,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto 
you,  with  whom  the  priesthood  hath  continued 
through  the  lineage  of  your  fathers,  for  ye  are 
lawful  heirs,  according  to  the  flesh,  and  have  been 
hid  from  the  world  with  Christ  in  God:  therefore 
your  life  and  the  priesthood  hath  remained,  and 
must  need  remain,  through  you  and  your  lineage, 
until  the  restoration  of  all  things  spoken  by  the 
mouths  of  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the  world 
began.'"— D.  C.  84:3.  (Utah  edition  86:8-10.) 

After  all  the  quibbling  done  by  Utah  elders  to 
make  it  appear  that  Joseph  Smith  was  not  alone 
referred  to  here,  the  fact  remains  that  he  at  least 
was  referred  to,  and  he  is  the  only  one  of  whose 


18  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.      . 

identity  we  are  certain,  in  connection  with  this 
revelation. 

t  But  God  does  clearly  reveal  himself  on  the  ques- 
tion. In  a  later  revelation  in  regard  to  the  Nauvoo 
House  he  says: — 

"Let  it  be  built  unto  my  name,  and  let  my  name 
be  named  upon  it,  and  let  my  servant  Joseph  and 
his  house  have  place  therein,  from  generation  to 
generation;  for  this  anointing  have  I  put  upon  his 
head,  that  his  blessing  shall  also  be  put  upon  the 
head  of  his  posterity  after  him;  and  as  I  said  unto 
Abraham,  concerning  the  kindreds  of  the  earth, 
even  so  I  say  unto  my  servant  Joseph,  in  thee,  and 
in  thy  seed,  shall  the  kindred"  of  the  earth  be 
blessed."— D.  C.  107:  18  (Utah  ed.  124:  56-58). 

Did  the  Twelve  recognize  and  acknowledge  one 
of  the  last  acts  of  their  martyred  prophet?  No. 
They  ignored  this,  or  most  of  them  did;  and  yet 
Brigham  Young  as  their  spokesman  could  arise 
before  the  people  and  say  that  the  Twelve  and  the 
measures  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  and  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  etc.,  formed  one  party. 
The  Twelve  as  a  quorum  did  not  in  their  decisions 
become  unanimous.  Three  of  the  Twelve  (to  their 
honor  be  it  said)  refused  to  follow  the  lead  of  Brig- 
ham.  These  were  William  Smith,  brother  of  the 
prophet,  Lyman  Wight,  and  John  E.  Page.  The 
first  two  mentioned  we  know  were  loyal  to  the 
cause  of  the  eldest  son  of  the  prophet,  and  recog- 
nized the  official  act  of  his  father  in  his  appoint- 
ment. Lyman  Wight  always  bore  testimony  that 
he  had  his  hands  upon  the  head  of  young  Joseph 
with  his  father  when  he  blessed  him  to  be  his  suc- 
cessor; and  any  claim  contrary  to  this  was  scorn- 
fully rejected  by  him.  B.  H.  Roberts  claims  that 
no  such  claim  could  be  true,  because  of  the  silence 
of  history  on  the  subject;  but  we  find  that  he  was 
not  careful  enough  in  his  search,  for  in  a  letter 
written  by  James  Kay,  and  dated  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, November  22,  1845,  he  says  that  William 
Smith  and  G.  J.  Adams  were  at  that  time  in  St. 
Louis,  advocating  the  claims  of  young  Joseph. 
He  says: — 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  19 

"He  [William  Smith]  contends  the  church  is  dis- 
organized, having  no  head;  that  the  Twelve  are 
not,  nor  ever  were,  ordained  to  be  head  of  the 
church;  that  Joseph's  priesthood  was  to  be  con- 
ferred on  his  posterity  to  all  future  generations, 
and  that  young  Joseph  is  the  only  legal  successor 
to  the  presidency  of  the  church."— Millennial  Star, 
vol.  7,  p.  134. 

This  shows  that  uhe  claim  was  made  and  had 
advocates  immediately  after  the  death  of  the 
prophet.  But  the  main  thing-  that  I  want  to  show 
is  that  the  Twelve  ignored  the  rule  laid  down  in 
the  law  that  upon  all  things  there  should  be  a 
unanimous  vote  in  order  to  make  their  decisions 
valid  and  binding  on  the  church— a  wise  provision 
to  protect  the  church  from  evil. 

CONDITIONS,  ETC.,  AND  METHODS  USED. 

Every  quorum  of  the  church  was  divided  upon 
the  questions  at  issue.  Quite  a  number  of  the 
Seventy,  including  some  of  the  presidents,  with 
irew  from  Brigham  Young's  party  and  opposed  his 
measures.  The  High  Council  was  divided,  and  in 
order  to  get  a  set  of  men  that  would  do  Brigham's 
will,  the  council  was  reconstructed,  the  recalcitrant 
ones  dropped,  and  more  obedient  ones  were  put  in, 
as  anyone  can  see  by  the  reading  of  the  history  of 
those  times,  with  the  quotations  above  given. 

Excuse  is  made  for  this  that  the  clause  inserted 
in  parenthesis  in  the  revelation  requiring  unity 
reads:  "(A  majority  may  form  a  quorum  when 
circumstances  render  it  impossible  to  be  other- 
wise.) But  note,  it  does  not  say  that  a  majority 
may  form  a  decision,  but  a  majority  may  form  a 
quorum;  but  when  that  majority  is  formed  into  a 
quorum,  all  must  without  exception  agree  to  its 
decisions.  The  Twelve  were  present  in  full  as  a 
quorum  in  Nauvoo,  but  they  failed  to  agree,  and 
instead  of  going  prayerfully  and  humbly  to  work 
and  forming  measures  from  God's  word  upon  which 
they  all  could  agree,  they  set  the  three  disagreeing 
ones  aside,  and  went  on  to  form  a  quorum  out  of 
material  that  would  agree  to  the  theories  set  out  by 


20  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

those  who  were  ambitious  of  power,  a  most  danger- 
ous policy  for  the  establishment  of  truth  and  the 
carrying  out  of  righteous  principles.  So  with  the 
High  Council. 

At  the  beginning  of  Rigdon's  trial  sai4l  council 
was  composed  of  Whitney,  Marks,  Rich,  Bent, 
Allred,  Wilson,  Cutler,  Fulmer,  Harris,  Grover, 
Johnson,  and  Sherwood;  at  its  close,  they  were 
Bent,  Allred,  Wilson,  Harris,  Huntington,  Knight, 
Cutler,  Johnson,  Sherwood,  Grover,  Benson,  and 
Pulmer.  Three  had  been  dropped  out— Whitney, 
Marks,  and  Rich.  Whitney  and  Rich  were  pro- 
moted. Marks  for  daring  to  speak  and  vote  his 
sentiments  and  perform  what  it  was  his  duty  to  do, 
was  entirely  left  out.  So  with  all  the  other  quo- 
rums. 

The  departures  from  the  law  here  are  too  numer- 
ous to  mention,  so  I  will  cease  to  enumerate  and 
pass  on  to  the  next. 

The  law  as  found  in  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  provides  for  only  seven  quorums  of 
Seventy. 

"And  it  is  according  to  the  vision,  showing  the 
order  of  the  seventy,  that  they  should  have  seven 
presidents  to  preside  over  them,  chosen  out  of  the 
number  of  the  seventy,  and  the  seventh  president 
of  these  presidents  is  to  preside  over  the  six;  and 
these  seven  presidents  are  to  choose  other  seventy 
besides  the  first  seventy,  to  whom  they  belong,  and 
are  to  preside  over  them;  and  also  other  seventy 
until  seven  time  seventy,  if  the  labor  in  the  vine- 
yard of  necessity  requires  it." — D.  C.  104:  43.  (Utah 
ed.  107:93-96.) 

As  soon  as  Joseph  Smith  was  dead  Brigham 
Young  and  his  associates  organized  enough  at 
least,  to  complete  eleven  quorums.  At  the  Octo- 
ber conference  of  1844,  one  item  of  business  reads: — 

"The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  was  spent  in 
filling  up  the  quorums  of  seventies,  and  at  the 
close,  eleven  quorums  were  filled  and  properly 
organized,  and  about  forty  elders  organized  ais  a 
part  of  the  twelfth  quorum." — Times  and  Seasons, 
vol.  5,  page  696. 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  21 

The  reader  can  see  that  this,  when  compared 
with  the  above  quotation  from  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  is  a  direct  violation  of  law;  but  Brig- 
ham  had  to  have  some  place  for  his  pets,  and  in 
order  to  accommodate  all  he  had  to  make  places  for 
them,  and  this  departure  from  the  law  has  gone  on 
until  there  are  in  the  Utah  Church  to-day  over 
one  hundred  quorums  of  seventy. 

The  law  as  contained  in  the  books  says: — 

"The  president  of  the  church,  who  is  also  the 
president  of  the  council  [general  High  Council],  is 
appointed  by  revelation,  and  acknowledged,  in  his 
administration,  by  the  voice  of  the  church;  and 
it  is  according  to  the  dignity  of  his  office,  that  he 
should  preside  over  the  council  of  the  church;  and 
it  is  his  privilege  to  be  assisted  by  two  other  presi- 
dents, appointed  after  the  same  manner  that  he 
himself  was  appointed;  and  in  case  of  the  absence 
of  one  or  both  of  those  who  are  appointed  to  assist 
him,  he  has  power  to  preside  over  the  council 
without  an  assistant;  and  in  case  that  he  himself  is 
absent,  the  other  presidents  have  power  to  preside, 
In  his  stead,  both  or  either  of  them."— D.  C.  99:6. 
(Utah  Ed.  102:9-11). 

The  latter  clause  of  this  was  violated  in  denying 
Sidney  Rigdon  his  right,  as  one  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, to  preside;  the  first  part  was  violated  when 
the  remaining  members  of  the  Twelve  elected 
Brigham  Young  President  of  the  Church  and 
Heber  C.  Kimball  and  Willard  Richards  his  coun- 
selors, without  even  the  semblance  of  a  revelation, 
in  December,  1847,  at  or  near  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 
The  taking  of  these  three  from  the  Quorum  of  the 
Twelve  only  left  six  (as  Wight,  Page,  and  Smith 
did  not  leave  Nauvoo  with  them);  and,  as  a 
maiority  alone  could  form  a  quorum,  hence  the 
action  was  illegal  from  that  standpoint. 

A  rather  poor  beginning  towards  regulating  the 
church,  I  hear  some  one  say.  Bad  enough,  surely, 
but  the  end  is  not  yet,  and  it  seems  as  though 
when  men  start  out  in  the  wrong  way,  the  farther 
they  go  the  farther  they  stray.  Jacob,  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  says:— 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

"And  were  it  not  that  I  must  speak  unto  vou 
concerning  a  grosser  crime,  my  heart  would  rejoice 
exceedingly,  because  of  you.  But  the  word  of  God 
burthens  me  because  of  your  grosser  crimes  "— 
Jacob  2d  chapter. 

So  in  the  contemplation  of  this  latter-day  apos- 
tasy I  wish  it  were  possible  to  leave  out  the  grosser 
departures  from  the  faith,  but  the  interests  of  truth 
demand  that  all  be  told.     A  bolder  stroke  in  the 
departure  from  the  faith  was  about  to  be  made 
but  it  needed  preparation.     The  people  must  be 
taken  to  a  place  where  law  could  not  reach  them 
So  a  resolution  is  passed  to  move  in  a  body  to  the 
West.    (Milknnial  Star,  vol.  6,  p.  197.) 

UTAH  IS  NOT  ZION. 

It  is  asserted  that  the  move  to  the  valleys  of  the 
mountains  was  Joseph's  measure;  that  he  prophe- 
sied of  it,  etc.  But  I  find  nothing  published  in  the 
history  of  the  church,  that  even  hints  at  the  idea, 
until  long  after  Joseph's  death.  I  do  find,  how- 
ever, that  when  Henry  Clay  suggested  that  Joseph 
bniith  should  take  his  people  to  Oregon,  that  he 
replies  in  this  language: — 

"Why  great  God!  to  transport 'two  hundred  thou- 
sand people  through  a  vast  prairie;  over  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  to  Oregon,  a  distance  of  nearly  two 
thousand  miles,  would  cost  more  than  four  mil- 
lions! or  should  they  go  by  Cape  Horn,  in  ships  to 
California,  the  cost  would  be  more  than  twentv 
millions !"— Times  and  Seasons,  volume  5,  page  547 

This  letter  is  dated  May  13,  1844;  just  I  little 
more  than  a  month  before  his  death.  He  would 
hardly  write  that  way  about  a  move  which  he  him- 
self had  under  contemplation.  But  whether  it 
was  Joseph's  measure,  or  Brigham's,  the  move  to 
establish  Utah  as  Zion,  and  a  gathering  place  for 
the  saints,  was  a  direct  violation  of  the  revelations 
of  God. 

But  something  had  to  be  done  to  establish  the 
doctrines  Brigham  and  others  had  in  contempla- 
tion; it  became  necessary  to  go  beyond  the  pale  of 
civil  law.  What  they  wanted  was  to  form  a  gov- 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  23 

eminent  of  their  own.  In  a  speech  made  at  a 
special  conference  held  at  Manchester,  England, 
December  14  and  15,  1845,  Wilford  Woodruff 
said:— 

4<There  is  no  safety  under  the  government  of  tha 
United  States.  It  is  time  to  go  where  we  can  en- 
joy our  rights,  and  no  longer  be  hemmed  in,  but 
be  placed  where  Jacob's  nobles  shall  be  of  them- 
selves, and  their  governors  shall  proceed  from  the 
midst  of  them." — Millennial  Star,  vol.  7.  p.  2. 

In  an  editorial  by  the  same  man,  I  find  this: — 

"We  can  at  any  rate  by  and  by  escape  round 
Cape  Horn,  and  sail  up  the  Pacific  Ocean  when  in- 
formed of  their  precise  locality.  All  possible  in- 
formation will  be  given  as  it  is  obtained,  and  we 
shall  endeavor  in  our  approaching  General  Confer- 
ence to  explain  all  things  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 
Let  the  saints  lift  up  their  heads  and  rejoice,  for 
their  redemption  draweth  nigh.  Mark  well  the 
signs  of  the  times.  Be  thankful  unto  God  that  for 
the  present  the  saints  must  not  gather  within  the 
Jurisdiction  of  the  States,  save  it  be  in  the  wilder- 
ness, beyond  the  mountains." — Millennial  Star,  vol. 
6,  p.  201. 

These  quotations  show:  first,  that  they  did  not 
know  where  they  were  going,  but  that  the  general 
Idea  was  that  they  were  going  to  some  place  in 
California;  second,  that  they  wanted  to  establish  a 
government  of  their  own  wherein  their  governors 
should  be  from  the  midst  of  them,  or  from  their 
own  number. 

But  we  will  now  see  what  the  church  covenants 
say  in  regard  to  the  matter: — 

"Hearken,  O  ye  elders  of  my  church,  saith  the 
Lord  your  God,  who  have  assembled  yourselves  to- 
gether, according  to  my  commandments,  in  this 
land  which  is  the  land  of  Missouri,  which  i-s  the 
land  which  I  have  appointed  and  consecrated  for 
the  gathering  of  the  saints;  wherefore  this  is  the 
land  of  promise,  and  the  place  for  the  city  of  Zion." 
— D.  C.  57: 1.  (Utah  Ed.  same.) 

And  that  Zion  should  not  be  moved  we  read: — 

"I,  the  Lord  will  contend  with  Zion  and  plead 


24  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

with  her  strong  ones,  and  chasten  her,  until  she 
overcomes  and  is  clean  before  me;  for  she  shall  not 
be  removed  out  of  her  place.  I,  the  Lord,  have 
spoken  it.  Amen.»-D.  C.  87:8.  (Utah  Ed.  90:  36? 

And  again:— 


-u?1?11  S^aU  ?oi  V6  moved  out  of  her  P]ace,  not- 
withstanding her  children  are  scattered,  they  that 
remain  and  are  pure  in  heart  shall  return  and  come 
to  their  inheritances;  they  and  their  children, 
with  songs  of  everlasting  joy;  to  build  up  the  waste 
places  of  Zion.  And  all  these  things,  that  the 
prophets  might  he  fulfilled.  And  behold,  there  is 
none  other  place  appointed,  than  that  which  I  have 
appointed,  neither  shall  there  be  any  other  place 
appointed  than  that  which  I  have  appointed  for  the 
work  of  the  gathering  of  my  saints,  until  the  dav 
cometh  when  there  is  found  no  more  room  for 
them;  and  then  I  have  other  places  which  I  will 
appoint  unto  them,  and  they  shall  be  called  stakes 

' 


tureen?  thetaw.6^  "^  "        WM  * 

FALSE  TEACHINGS  AND  PRACTICES. 

I  shall  now  content  myself  with  presenting  as 
briefly  as  possible  some  further  departures  from  the 
faith,  by  quoting  extracts  from  sermons  delivered 
by  Brigham  \oung  and  those  who  have  adhered  to 
•  lmr\  C  hey.  left  Nauvo°  an<*  established  themselves 
in  Utah,  and  the  very  first  move  they  made  after 
arriving  was  to  invalidate  all  the  baptisms  that  had 
been  performed  before  that  time,  by  being  baptized 
confirmed,  and  re-ordained  again;  thus  treating 
lightly  one  of  the  most  sacred  ordinances  of  God'a 
law  and  house.  And  every  one  must  submit  to  this 
rebaptism  as  soon  as  they  come  to  Utah,  or  be  con- 
sidered apostates.  Brigham  too,  began  to  assert 
his  authority,  claiming  that  he  alone  had  the  right 
to  dictate  both  in  temporal  and  in  spiritual  thinga 
Let  us  read  what  he  says  on  these  two  points:— 

*I  am  the  controller  and  master  of  affairs  here 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  25 

under  Heaven's  direction."— Journal  of  Discourses, 
vol.  1,  p.  48. 

"I  will  refer  again  to  the  brethren  and  sisters 
who  have  lately  come  over  the  plains.  My  counsel 
to  them  to-day  is,  as  it  has  been  on  former  occasions 
to  all  who  have  come  into  these  valleys,  Go  and  be 
baptized  for  the  remission  of  your  sins,  repenting 
of  all  your  wanderings  from  the  path  of  righteous- 
ness, believing  firmly  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
that  all  your  sins  will  be  washed  away.  If  any  of 
you  inquire  what  is  the  necessity  of  your  being 
baptized,  as  you  have  not  committed  any  sins,  I 
answer,  it  is  necessary  to  fulfill  all  righteousness." 
— Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  8. 

The  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants  teaches 
that  Christ  is  our  Savior  and  God,  to  whom  we 
must  look  for  salvation: — 

"And  now,  remember  the  words  of  him  who  is  the 
life  and  the  light  of  the  world,  your  Redeemer, 
your  Lord,  and  your  God.  Amen." — D.  C.  9:  18. 
(Utah  ed.  10:  70.  Also  D.  C.  10:  12;  Utah  ed.  11: 
28,  29.) 

Brigham  taught: — 

"Now  hear  it,  O  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  Jew 
and  Gentile,  saint  and  sinner!  When  our  father 
Adam  came  into  the  garden  of  Eden,  he  came  into 
it  with  a  celestial  body,  and  brought  Eve,  one  of  his 
wives,  with  him.  He  helped  to  make  and  organize 
this  world.  He  is  MICHAEL,,  the  Archangel,  the 
ANCIENT  OF  DAYS!  about  whom  holy  men  have 
written  and  spoken.  HE  is  our  FATHER  and  our 
God,  and  the  only  God  with  whom  we  have  TO  DO." — 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  50. 

The  Bible  teaches  that  Jesus  was  begotten  of  the 
Holy  Ghost:— 

"Now  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ  was  on  this  wise: 
When  his  mother  Mary  was  espoused  to  Joseph,  be- 
fore they  came  together,  she  was  found  with  child 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."— Matt.  1: 18. 

"And  the  angel  answered  and  said  unto  her,  The 
Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of 
l,he  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee:  therefore  also 


26  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

that  holy  thing  which  shall  be  born  of  the3  shall 
be  called  the  Son  of  God."— Luke  1:  35. 

Brig-ham  Young  taught  that  Adam  was  the  father 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  he  was  not  begotten  bv 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Hear  him:— 

'I  have  given  you  a  few  leading  items  upon  this 
subject,  but  a  great  deal  more  remains  to  be  told. 
Now  remember  from  this  time  forth,  and  forever, 
that  Jesus  Christ  was  not  begotten  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  I^will  repeat  a  little  anecdote.  I  was  in 
conversation  with  a  certain  learned  professor  upon 
this  subject,  when  I  replied  to  this  idea— if  the  Son 
was  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  would  be  ver? 
dangerous  to  baptize  and  confirm  females,  and  give 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  them  lest  he  beget  children,  'to 
be  palmed  upon  the  elders  by  the  people,  bringic-g 
the  elders  into  great  difficulties."— Journal  of  DiS- 
courses,  vol.  1,  p.  51. 

Such  language  is  actually  blasphemous;  and  this 
from  a  man  who  we  are  told  represents  Clir-ist! 

We  read  again  in  the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
nants: — 

"And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  concerning 
your  debts,  behold  it  is  my  will  that  you  shall  Bay 
all  your  debts."— D.  C.  101:13.  (Utah  ed.  104:78.) 
Then  the  Lord  goes  on  to  promise  them  that  if 
they  will  be  diligent  in  trying  to  pay  their  debts  he 
will  soften  the  hearts  of  their  debtors,  so  they  will 
not  press  them,  until  they  are  able  to  pay.  But 
Brigham  taught  thus:— 

"I  wish  to  impress  another  thing  upon  your 
minds:  An  elder,  who  is  willing  to  preach  the 
gospel,  borrows  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  dollars 
from  you,  and  you  never  breath  the  first  complaint 
against  him,  until  you  come  home  to  this  valley; 
but  after  you  have  been  here  for  a  few  days,  you 
follow  me  round  and  fill  my  ears  with  complaints 
against  this  brother,  and  ask  me  what  he  has  done 
with  your  money?  I  say,  'I  do  not  know.'  Thus 
you  are  distressed  and  in  misery,  all  the  day  long, 
to  get  it  back  again.  If  an  elder  has  borrowed 
from  you,  and  you  find  he  is  going  to  aposta- 
tize, then  you  may  tighten  the  screws  upon  him; 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  27 

but  if  he  is  willing  to  preach  the  gospel,  without 
purse  or  scrip,  it  is  none  of  your  business  what  he 
does  with  the  money  he  has  borrowed  from  you." — 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  340. 

Rather  a  queer  way  to  preach  the  gospel  without 
purse  or  scrip,  when  they  are  allowed  to  borrow 
from  whom  they  please  and  not  obliged  to  pay  it 
back.  It  is  &  good  way,  however,  to  keep  men  from 
apostatizing. 

Some  more  of  Brigham's  teaching  is  directly  in 
point,  and  I  quote  it: — 

"I  might  here  use  a  just  and  true  comparison 
which  will  apply  to  the  church.  The  rulers  of 
Great  Britain  have  tried  to  make  every  capitalist 
identify  his  interest  with  the  Government — that  has 
sustained  the  kingdom,  and  is  like  a  powerful  net- 
work around  the  whole.  Apply  this  comparison  to 
the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 

"Brethren,do  you  wish  this  heavenly  government 
to  stand?  There  is  no  government  more  beautiful, 
no  confederacy  more  powerfull  What  shall  we  do 
to  accomplish  this?  Imitate  the  policy  of  that 
earthly  kingdom,  identify  our  .interest  with  the 
kingdom  of  God,  so  that  if  our  hearts  should  ever 
become  weaned  from  loyalty  to  the  sovereign,  all 
our  earthly  interest  is  bound  up  there,  and  cannot 
be  taken  away.  We  must  therefore  sustain  the 
kingdom  in  order  to  sustain  our  lives  and  interests. 
By  so  doing,  we  shall  receive  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord,  and  ultimately  work  with  all  our  hearts. 

"This  is  a  policy  which  I  have  not  reflected  upon 
until  this  morningr,  but  before  we  get  through  with 
the  conference,  I  shall,  perhaps,  see  it  entered 
into;  not  as  the  result  of  any  premeditation  in  the 
least,  but  when  the  condition  of  our  temporal  af- 
fairs is  read  from  the  stand,  you  will  find  the 
church  in  considerable  indebtedness.  If  any  man 
is  in  darkness  through  the  deceitfulness  of  riches, 
it  is  good  policy  for  him  to  bind  up  his  wealth  in 
this  church,  so  that  he  cannot  command  it  again, 
and  he  will  be  apt  to  cleave  to  the  kingdom.  If  a 
man  has  the  purse  in  his  pocket,  and  he  apostatizes, 
he  takes  it  with  him:  but  if  his  worldly  interest  is 


28  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

firmly  united  to  the  Kingdom  of  God,  when  he 
arises  to  go  away,  he  finds  the  calf  is  bound,  and, 
like  the  cow,  he  is  unwilling  to  forsake  it.  Jf  his 
calf  is  bound  up  here,  he  will  be  inclined  to  stay; 
all  his  interest  is  here,  and  very  likely  the  Lord 
will  open  his  eyes,  so  that  he  will  properly  under- 
stand his  true  situation,  and  his  heart  will  chime 
in  with  the  will  of  his  God  in  a  very  short  time."— 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  202. 

WRONG  ON  TEMPLE  BUILDING. 

Brigham  also  erred  on  temple  building.  I  read 
in  the  church  covenants  that  the  Lord  in  speaking 
of  the  building  of  temples,  says: — 

"My  holy  house,  which  my  people  are  always 

commanded  to  build  unto  my  holy  name  " D   C 

107:12.    (Utah  Ed.  124:39). 

It  is  rather  hard  to  locate  Brigham  Young  on 
temple  building,  as  he  does  not  seem  to  be  settled 
in  his  own  mind  about  it.  He  says: — 

"When  the  people  refused  in  Kirtland  to  build  a 
temple,  unless  by  a  special  revelation,  it  grieved 
his  [Joseph  Smith's]  heart  that  they  should  be  so 
penurious  in  their  feelings  as  to  require  the  Lord 
to  command  them  to  build  a  house  to  his  name. 
It  was  not  only  grievous  to  him,  but  to  the  Holt 
Spirit  also.  He  frequently  said,  that  if  it  were  not 
for  the  covetousness  of  the  people,  the  Lord  would 
not  give  revelations  concerning  the  building  of  tem- 
ples, for  we  already  knew  all  about  them."— Journal 
of  Discourses,  vol.  1,  p.  278. 

A  misinterpretation  of  the  passage  in  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants  above  quoted  is  evident.  The 
Lord  there  says  he  always  commands  when  a  house 
is  to  be  built  unto  him;  but  here  in  the  statement 
of  Brigham  it  is  said  that  he  never  does,  unless 
forced  to  do  so  by  the  covetousness  of  the  people. 
We  find,  however,  that  Brigham  talks  differently 
soon  afterward.  This  was  uttered  on  February  14 
1853;  but  on  April  6,  1853,  we  have  this  from  the 
same  man: — 

"Joseph  not  only  received  revelation  and  com- 
mandment to  build  a  Temple,  but  he  received  a 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  29 

pattern  also,  as  did  Moses  for  the  Tabernacle,  and 
Solomon  for  his  Temple;  for  without  a  pattern,  he 
could  not  know  what  was  wanting,  having  never 
seen  one,  and  not  having  experienced  its  use. 
Without  revelation,  Joseph  could  not  know  what 
was  wanting,  any  more  than  any  other  man;  and, 
without  commandment,  the  church  were  too  few  in 
numbers,  too  weak  in  faith,  and  too  poor  in  purse, 
to  attempt  such  a  mighty  enterprise." — Journal  of 
Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  31. 

No  comment  upon  the  contradiction  is  necessary, 
as  it  will  be  evident  to  all.  The  Utah  Church,  in 
all  the  temples  built,  do  not  claim  special  revela- 
tion for  any  one  of  them;  but  interpret  the  words, 
"my  people  are  always  commanded  to  build,"  to  be 
a  perpetual  command  to  build;  but  such  an  inter- 
pretation cannot  be  made  without  doing  violence  to 
the  language.  If  it  had  read  "my  people  are  com- 
manded always  to  build;"  then  their  interpretation 
would  have  been  all  right;  but  it  does  not  read  that 
way. 

BRIGHAMITE    ENDOWMENTS. 

In  regard  to  the  endowments,  Christ  and  Brig- 
ham  differed.  Which  shall  we  follow?  Christ 
told  his  disciples  to  tarry  at  Jerusalem  until  they 
had  been  endowed  with  power  from  on  high.  He 
told  them  what  the  endowment  would  do  for  them. 

"But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall 
teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."— 
John  14: 26. 

"But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will 
send  unto  you  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall 
testify  of  me."— John  15:  26. 

"Howbeit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come, 
he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth:  for  he  shall  not 
speak  of  himself;  but  whatsoever  he  shall  hear, 
that  shall  he  speak;  and  he  will  show  you  things 
to  come."— John  16: 13. 

Paul  wrote  that  the  fruit  of  that  endowment  is:— 


30          NECESSITY  FOB  A  REORGANIZATION. 

r^OVe'  J°?»  Peace>  long-suffering,  gentleness, 
goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance."— Gal.  5: 
£u  Zo. 

And  Peter  wrote:— 

'VAccprding  as  his  divine  power  hath  given  unto 
us  all  things  that  pertain  unto  life  and  piodliness." 
— &  Jreter  1:3. 

All  useful  here  in  this  life.  Brigham  represents 
heaven  as  a  great  secret  chamber,  at  the  door  of 
which  we  must  be  able  to  give  signs,  grips,  pass- 
words, etc.  Hear  his  definition:— 

•'Let  me  give  you  the  definition  in  brief.  Your 
endowment  is,  to  receive  all  those  ordinances  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  which  are  necessary  for  you 
after  you  have  departed  this  life,  to  enable  you  to 
walk  back  to  the  presence  of  the  Father,  passing 
the  angels  who  stand  as  sentinels,  being  enabled 
to  give  them  the  key-words,  the  signs  and  tokens, 
pertaining  to  the  Holy  Priesthood,  and  gain  your 
eternal  exaltation  in  spite  of  earth  and  hell."— Jour- 
nal of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  31. 

I  am  told  here  in  Utah  that  the  endowments 
given  in  Kirtland  were  identical  with  those  given 
in  the  temples  here;  but  Brigham  says  they  were 
not.  Hear  him: — 

"And  those  first  elders  who  helped  to  build  it 
received  a  portion  of  their  first  endowments,  or  we 
might  say  more  clearly,  some  of  the  first,  or  intro- 
ductory, or  initiatory  ordinances,  preparatory  to 
an  endowment.  The  preparatory  ordinances  there 
administered,  though  accompanied  by  the  adminis- 
tration of  angels,  and  the  presence  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  were  but  a  faint  similitude  of  the  ordinances 
of  tho  house  of  the  Lord  in  their  fullness;  yet 
many,  through  the  instigation  of  the  Devil, 
thought  they  had  received  all,  and  knew  as  much 
as  God;  they  have  apostatized,  and  gone  to  hell. 
But  be  assured,  brethren,  there  are  but  few,  very 
few  of  the  elders  of  Israel,  now  on  earth,  who  know 
the  meaning  of  the  word  "endowment."  To  know, 
they  must  experience;  and  to  experience,  a  temple 
must  be  built." — Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  31. 
Then  follows  Brigham Js  definition  of  the  word 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  31 

"endowment"  as  given  above.  All  those  people, 
and  they  are  many,  who  testify  that  they  received 
their  endowments  in  Kirtland  and  Nauvoo  must  be 
mistaken,  because  Brigham  says,  "You  did  not!" 
Only  a  few,  and  that  a  very  few,  received  them. 
Christ's  endowments  and  teachings  were  open,  as 
witness  the  endowment  of  the  apostles  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  where  all  the  multitude  witnessed  it 
and  heard  the  apostles  speak  in  tongues. 

I  read: — 

"The  high  priest  then  asked  Jesus  of  his  disci- 
ples, and  of  his  doctrine.  Jesus  answered  him,  I 
spake  openly  to  the  world;  I  ever  taught  in  the 
synagogue,  and  in  the  temple,  whither  the  Jews  al- 
ways resort;  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing.  Why 
askest  thou  me?  ask  them  which  heard  me,  what  I 
have  said  unto  them:  behold  they  know  what  I 
said."— John  18:  19-21. 

But  Brigbam  was  afraid  that  people  would  ask 
his  followers  what  he  taught.  In  speaking  of  some 
who  wanted  their  endowments  he  says: — 

"Well,  he  gets  his  endowment,  and  what  for?  To 
go  to  California,  and  reveal  everything  he  can,  and 
stir  up  wickedness,  and  prepare  himself  for  hell." — 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p.  144. 

Christ  was  not  afraid  of  any  revealments.  He 
stood  there  among  his  enemies,  defying  them  to  find 
any  fault  with  his  teachings;  but  Brigham  was 
afraid  of  what  his  followers  might  reveal  of  his 
doctrine  and  secret  works.  Did  he  represent  Christ? 

LYING. 

"Thou  shalt  not  lie:  he  that  lieth  and  will  not 
repent,  shall  be  cast  out."— D.  C.  42:7.  (Utah  ed. 
42:21.) 

The  repeating  of  this  command  in  this  nineteenth 
century  seems  almost  superfluous,  but  events  have 
proved  that  the  repeating  of  the  command  was  pro- 
phetic of  that  which  was  to  come. 

From  the  death  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  until  the 
29th  day  of  August.  1852.  the  literature  of  the  Utah 
Church  is  full  of  denials  of  polygamy.  But  now 
Lht-.-y  tell  us  that  they  were  lying  all  this  time,  and 


32  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

that  it  was  practiced  as  early  as  1841.  Orson  Hyde 
says  in  "Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  2,  p  83,  that 
they  had  more  than  one  wife  when  they  were  in 
Nauvoo;  and  George  A.  Smith  says,  in  his  autobi- 
ography in  the  Historical  fiecord,  that  he  had  us 
many  as  five  wives  before  he  left  Nauvoo. 

In  volume  12,  Millennial  Star,  page  29,  there  is  a 
list  of  lies  and  their  refutation  by  Thomas  Smith. 
These  lies,  he  says,  he  took  from  a  book  by  one 
Bowes,  and  in  that  list  I  find  the  following:— 

"12  Lie.  Joseph  Smith  taught  a  system  of  po- 
lygamy." 

Then  follows  the  refutation  of  the  lie,  by  quoting 
the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  This  was 
published  by  Orson  Pratt  in  1850.  Two  years  after- 
wards, polygamy  was  publicly  proclaimed  by  the 
Utah  Church  leaders,  and  palmed  off  on  Joseph 
Smith,  and  given  out  to  the  saints  as  his  doctrine. 
If  it  was  a  lie  for  Mr.  Bowes  to  say  it  in  1850,  it  was 
a  lie  for  Brigham  Young  to  say  it  in  1852. 

Andrew  Jensen,  in  his  Historical  Eecord,  says,  iD 
speaking  of  John  C.  Bennett,  that  he  told  some 
very  wicked  lies  about  Joseph.  He  said  he  taughl 
one  thing  in  public  and  practiced  another  thing  in 
secret;  and  by  this  means  was  enabled  to  get  some 
of  the  sisters  into  trouble.  But  we  are  told  now, 
everywhere  in  Utah,  that  Joseph  taught  and  prac- 
ticed polygamy  in  secret,  and  denied  it  in  public. 
Was  it  a  wicked  lie  for  John  C.  Bennett  to  tell  it 
in  1842,  and  a  sacred  truth  when  told  by  Brigham 
and  his  minions  in  1852  to  1896?  Does  time  make 
then  a  difference  in  the  sin?  I  could  mention  many 
more  instances,  but  let  this  suffice. 

ABOMINABLE  TEACHING. 

Th«  next  departure  from  the  lavr  that  I  shall  men- 
tion will  account  for  this  lying  propensity.  I  have 
already  quoted  Joseph  Smith's  statement  in  regard 
to  the  manner  in  which  the  power  of  the  priest- 
hood should  be  exercised,  but  I  will  give  it  again:— 

"No  power  or  influence  can  or  ought  to  be  main- 
tained by  virtue  of  the  priesthood  only  by  persuasion. 
by  longsuffering,  by  gentleness,  by  meekness,  and 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  33 

by  love  unfeigned:  .  .  .  without  hypocrisy,  and 
without  guile." — Times  and  Seasons,  vol.  1,  p.  132. 
(Utah  edition  D.  and  C.  121:41,  42.) 

In  giving  directions  how  the  quorums  shall  render 
decisions  he  says:  ''it  must  be  by  'faith,'  'virtue,' 
'knowledge,'  'temperance,'  'patience,'  'godliness,' 
'brotherly  kindness,'  and  'charity.'" 

Now  let  us  hear  how  Brigham's  minions  exer- 
cised their  priesthood,  letting  him  be  his  own 
witness: — 

UI  have  many  a  time,  in  this  stand,  dared  the 
world  to  produce  as  mean  devils  as  we  can.  We 
can  beat  them  at  anything.  We  have  the  greatest 
and  smoothest  liars  in  the  world,  the  cunningest  and 
most  adroit  thieves,  and  any  other  shade  of  character 
that  you  can  mention. 

"We  can  pick  out  elders  in  Israel  right  here  who 
can  beat  the  world  at  gambling;  who  can  handle 
the  cards;  can  cut  and  shuffle  them  with  the  smart- 
est rogue  on  God's  footstool.  I  can  produce  elders 
here  who  can  shave  their  smartest  shavers,  and 
take  their  money  from  them.  We  can  beat  the 
world  at  any  game." — Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  p.  291; 
Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4,  p.  77. 

Now  comes  the  reason  why  they  are  all  this,— 
liars,  thieves,  rogues,  etc:— 

"We  can  beat  them  because  we  have  men  here 
that  live  in  the  light  of  the  Lord;  that  have  the  holy 
priesthood,  and  hold  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.  But  you  may  go  through  all  the  sectarian 
world,  and  you  cannot  find  a  man  capable  of  open- 
ing the  door  of  the  kingdom  of  God  to  admit 
others  in.  We  can  do  that.  We  can  pray  the 
best,  preach  the  best,  and  sing  the  best.  We  are 
the  best  looking  and  finest  set  of  people  on  the 
face  of  the  earth;  and  they  can  begin  any  game 
they  please,  and  we  are  on  hand,  and  can  beat  them 
at  anything  they  have  a  mind  to  begin.  They  may 
make  sharp  their  two-edged  swords,  and  I  will  turn 
out  the  elders  of  Israel  with  greased  feathers,  and 
whip  them  to  death.  We  are  not  to  be  beat.  We 
xpect  to  be  a  stumblingblock  to  the  whole  world, 


34  NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

6Dd.  WV°f  ^l"?  £  ^^-"--Deseret  Neics,  vol 
b,p.  291;  Journal  of  Discourses,  vol.  4  p  77 

Quite  a  contrast  between  the  manner  in  which 
Joseph  instructs  his  elders  to  use  the^prTesThood 

us°eWtehXd  thR  Tay  Bri^am  instructe  his  efdersto 
ise  theirs.     But  you  will  remember  that  immedi- 

KrePb0ann^riDg,the  Vallfiey<  B"^am  cauTd  a  1 
3  be  rebaptized,  and  reconfirmed,  and  reordained* 
and  it  is  probable  that  here  is  where  they  laid 
aside  the  true  priesthood  that  was  full  of  longfuffjr 
ing,  gentleness,  mercy,  and  truth,  and  took  upon 
themselves  that  priesthood  that  caused  them  to  be 
the  'greatest  and  smoothest  liars,  and  the  most 


six 


John  also  says:  — 

h«?fWfi  W8l£in  the  Hght'  as  he  is  in  the          ,  we 

Jesus  ChriS  ffi°Q8  Wl^  an°ther'  and  the  blood  0' 
Jesus  Christ  his  Son  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."- 
A  JOuQ  ir  7. 

iifferueiltly  'rom  either  of  these 
?*  that  there  were  s^s  whi«:h 
Christ's  blood,  but  oou  d 


"All  mankind  love  themselves;    and  let  these 
fTrfA0?  be,,knovln.  ^  an  individual,  and  he  wouW 
in  ig     tuto  ha,ve  hls  blood  shed-    That  would  be 
W^?gJn  e,mselves  6T.en  UQto  an  eternal  exaltation 
wLlnyiV,     °v6  y°Ur  brothel-s  and  sisters,  likewise 
when  they  have  committed  a  sin  that  cannot  be 
atoned  for  without  the  shedding  of  blood"    Will 
you  love  that  man  or  woman  well  enough  to  shed 
their  blood?     That  is  what  Jesus  cCrfst  meant 
*  man  °r  woman  to  love 


He  never      tend      any 


. 

chance  whatever  for  exaltation;  but  if  their  Wood 
had  been  spilled,  it  would  have  been  better  for 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  35 

tliem.  The  wickedness  and  ignorance  of  the 
nations  forbid  this  principle  being  in  full  force; 
but  the  time  will  come  when  the  law  of  God  will  be 
in  full  force. 

-'This  is  loving  our  neighbor  as  ourselves;  if  he 
needs  help,  help  him;  and  if  he  wants  salvation, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  spill  his  blood  upon  the 
ground  in  order  that  he  may  be  saved,  spill  it.  Any 
of  you  who  understand  the  principles  of  eternity,  if 
you  have  sinned  a  sin  requiring  the  shedding  of 
blood,  except  the  sin  unto  death,  would  not  be  sat- 
isfied nor  rest  until  your  blood  should  be  spilled, 
that  you  might  gain  that  salvation  you  desire. 
That  is  the  way  to  love  mankind." — Journal  of  Dis- 
courses, vol.  4,  p.  220.  Deseret  News,  vol.  6,  p.  397. 
Jedediah  M.  Grant,  Brigham's  counselor,  says:— 
"I  say  there  are  men  and  women  here  that  I 
would  advise  to  go  to  the  president  immediately, 
and  ask  him  to  appoint  a  committee  to  attend  to 
their  case;  and  then  let  a  place  be  selected,  and  let 
that  committee  shed  their  blood."  —  Deseret  News, 
vol.  6,  p.  235. 

I  am  aware  that  there  are  hundreds  of  the  people 
in  Utah  that  do  not  know,  and  will  not  believe,  that 
such  doctrines  have  been  taught.  To  such  we  have 
only  this  to  say:  Search  and  see.  Do  not  sell  the 
freedom  to  think  for  yourselves  that  God  has  given 
you,  and  in  time  you  will  be  delivered  from  your  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  bondage. 

You  will  notice  that  in  the  above  quotations,  es- 
pecial mention  is  made  of  those  who  have  1-  ft  the 
Utah  Church,  and  of  how  much  better  it  would  have 
been  for  them  had  their  blood  been  spilled.  This 
was  only  one  more  link  in  the  chain  of  bondage  into 
which  the  Utah  leaders  sought  to  bring  the  people 
and  to  make  it  impossible,  through  fear  of  them,  to 
leave  the  church. 

My  mind  reverts  again  to  the  promise  made  to 
the  priesthood,  if  they  would  only  exercise  its  pow- 
ers in  righteousness: — 

"The  Holy  Ghost  shall  be  thy  constant  compan- 
ion, and  thy  scepter,  an  unchanging  scepter  of 
righteousness  and  truth;  and  thy  dominion  shall  be 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

an  everlasting  dominion;  and   without  compulsory 
means  it  shall  flow  unto  thee  forever  and  ever  » 

te!  trieu  t0  USe  "comPulsory  means,"  hence 
not  have  been  acting  righteously. 


tnIp$?Tn(?t;10n  With  this  WG  wish  to  cal1  attention 
to  Faul's  statement  or  instruction:— 

"And  the  servant  of  the  Lord  must  not  strive; 
but  be  gentle  unto  all  men,  apt  to  teach,  patient:  in 
meekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  themselves; 
rGod  perad  venture  will  give  them  repentance  to 
the  acknowledging  of  the  truth;  and  that  they  may 
recover  themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil, 
who  are  taken  captive  by  him  at  his  will."—  2  Tim. 
- 


. 

Compare  this  with  the  following  from  Brighanr— 
T  -ifay'  ™ther  than  apostates  should  flourish  here, 
I  will  unsheath  my  bowie  knife,  and  corquer  or  die. 
(Great  commotion  in  the  congregation,  and  a  si- 
multaneous burst  of  feeling  assenting  to  the  declara- 
tion.) Now,  you  nasty  apostates,  clear  out,  or 
Judgment  will  be  put  to  the  line,  and  righteousness 
to  tne  plummet,  '(voices  generally,  'Goit;  Goit  ')  If 
you  say  it  is  right,  raise  your  hands.  (All  hands 
up.)  Let  us  call  upon  the  Lord  to  assist  us  in  this 
and  every  other  good  work.  .  .  .  I  want  you  to 
hear,  Bishops,  what  I  am  about  to  tell  you  Kick 
these  men  out  of  your  wards."—  Journalof  Discours  w, 
vol.  1,  pp.  83.  84. 

It  is  sometimes  denied  that  anyone  was  ever  in- 
terfered with  in  Utah  on  account  of  their  leaving 
the  Mormon  Church;  but  I  want  to  ask  the  candid 
reader  what  in  his  opinion  would  have  been  the 
chances  for  safety  to  an  apostate,  after  the  inflam- 
matory speech  just  quoted,  and,  especially,  when 
the  speaker  was  looked  upon  as  the  mouthpiece  of 
God?  I  say  again,  this  man  did  not  correctly  rep- 
resent Christ  and  his  gospel. 

In  1852,  August  29,  as  everyone  knows,  the  doc- 
trine of  polygamy  was  introduced  by  Brigham 
Young.  Of  this  I  shall  say  but  little,  as  it  has  been 
handled  by  abler  pens  than  mine.  It  is,  however,  a 
direct  violation  of  certain  passages  found  in  the  Bi- 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  31 

ble,  Book  of  Mormon,  and  book  of  Doctrine  and 
Covpnants;  such  as:— 

"For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and 
mother,  and  shall  be  joined  unto  his  wife,  and  they 
two  shall  be  one  fl^sh."— Eph  5:31. 

"Yet  ye  say,  Wherefore?  Because  the  Lord  hath 
been  witness  between  thee  and  the  wife  of  thy  youth, 
against  whom  thou  hast  dealt  treacherously;  yet  is 
she  thy  companion,  and  the  wife  of  thy  covenant 
And  did  not  he  make  one?  Yet  had  he  the  residue 
of  the  Spirit.  And  wherefore  one?  That  he  might 
seek  a  godly  seed.  Therefore  take  heed  to  your 
spirit,  and  let  none  deal  treacherously  against  the 
wife  of  his  youth."— Mai.  2: 14,  15. 

"Wherefore,  my  brethren,  hear  me,  and  hearken 
to  the  word  of  the  Lord:  For  there  shall  not 
any  man.  among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife:  and 
concubines  he  shall  have  none:  For  I,  the  Lord  God, 
delighteth  in  the  chastity  of  women."— Book  of 
Mormon,  Jacob  2:  6. 

"Thou  shalt  love  thy  wife  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
shall  cleave  unto  her  and  none  else."— D.  C.  42:  7. 
(Utah  ed.  42:22.)  ... 

"And  again,  I  say  unto  you,  that  whoso  forbid- 
deth  to  marry,  is  not  ordained  of  God,  for  marriage 
is  ordained  of  God  unto  man;  wherefore  it  is  lawful 
that  he  should  have  one  wife,  and  they  twain  shall 
be  one  flesh,  and  all  this  that  the  earth  might  an- 
swer the  end  of  its  creation;  and  that  it  might  be 
filled  with  the  measure  of  man,  according  to  his 
creation  before  the  world  was  made."— D.  C.  49:  •*. 
(Utah  ed.  49:15-17.) 

Christ  taught:—  . 

"It  hath  been  said,  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his 
wife,  let  him  give  her  a  writing  of  divorcement: 
but  I  say  unto  you,  That  whosoever  shall  put  away 
his  wife,  saving  for  the  cause  of  fornication,  causetn 
her  to  commit  adultery:  and  whosoever  shall  marry 
her  that  is  divorced  committeth  adultery."— Matt. 

C, O1       OO 

'l  was  told  by  a  lady  who  had  been  a  polyganaous 
wife,  that  when  she  was  sealed  to  the  man  to  whom 
she  belonged,  he  having  taken  three  women,  two 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION 


tl..SUJ™00"'0b°'*ted  ""  '•'"'"•lion  clna  bj 

by 


hted0a 


aawl       th!1  the  great  cities  T  flnd  ng 


THE  REORGANIZATION. 
I    have  now  traced  the  apostasy  of  the  church 

MormoDism,  in  all  its  phlses,  has  had    o  bear  the 
stigma,  and  which  has  made  it  hard  to  teach  th 
people  those  pure  principles  of  which  it  £«  oriel! 
nally  composed.     There  were  those,  however    who 
did  not  partake  of  the  evil,  but  held  themselves 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION.  39 

aloof  from  all  factions,  only  nominally  partaking  of, 
or  identifying  themselves  with  the  various  organi- 
zations just  long  enough  to  prove  that  they  had  de* 
parted  from  the  faith.  To  these  the  Lord  spoke 
almost  simultaneously  with  the  establishment  of 
the  culminating  evil,  polygamy,  in  Utah;  and  they 
were  told  to  organize  themselves,  and  God  would 
send  a  leader  from  tbe  seed  of  the  Martyr.  And  in 
1854,  January  29,  at  Zarahemla,  Wisconsin,  thus 
came  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  these  faithful 
ones:— 

"Ye  ask  truly,  but  ye  ask  amiss:  cleanse  ye  your- 
selves of  all  bitterness  and  come  before  me  as  one 
man,  and  prove  me  hereby,  saith  the  Lord,  by  the 
voice  of  his  Spirit;  and  lu!  I  will  scatter  the  dark- 
ness, and  thy  watchmen,  oh!  mine  Israel,  shall  see 
eye  to  eye,  and  this  remnant  shall  arise  out  of  ob- 
scurity and  out  of  darkness.  Uphold  the  first  elder, 
qr  senior,  by  your  faith  and  prayers,  and  I  will  give 
you  knowledge  and  strength,  even  hidden  wisdom, 
concerning  this  remnant,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  it), 
days  of  old,  whom  I. have  appointed  to  speak  com 
foirtably  unto  the  captives,  and  give  them  bread 
and  water  in  their  journey.  Therefore  seek  the 
preparation,  for  that  which  I  have  promised,  even 
power  over  false  spirits  and  disease;  and  if  you  seek 
it  in  unity,  with  all  your  hearts,  I  will  bless  the 
sacrifice,  and  you  shall  have  peace  and  joy,  beyond 
that  which  you  have  before  tasted  in  Zars.bemla.," 
-The  Messenger,  vol.  2,  p.  37. 

Christ  says:  "The  truth  shall  make  you  free."— 
John  8: 32. 

Error,  then,  would  have  the  opposite  Affect,  and 
would  bring  them  into  bondage.  God  recognized, 
then,  the  necessity  of  a  Reorganization  "to  speak 
comfortably  to  the  captives,"  and  that  has  been  our 
endeavor  as  ministers  of  the  Reorganization;  to 
speak  words  of  comfort  to  blind,  bleeding  Israel 
everywhere.  But,  like  Israel  of  old,  so  modern  Is- 
rael says,  "We  will  not  hearken  to  the  watchmen, 
neither  will  we  walk  in  the  good  old  way,"  wherein 
is  rest  to  their  souls. 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

NOT  DEAD  ISSUES. 

What  I  have  written  is  not  written  because  I 
have  malice  toward  any,  but  to  show  that  there 
was  and  is  to-day  a  need  of  a  Reorganization  I  ex 

sss  b»rtc  ftHssS^eK-fls 
S^wjf^SSSSiS 

to-aay  ana  not  the  Mormonism  of  thirty  years  affo?" 
And  that  these  things  "are  all  dead  issues  "     To 
this  I  reply,  that  so  long  as  there  shall  be  one  per? 
son  holding  to  the  belief  that  Brigham  Young  was 
the  true  and  lawful  successor  of  Joseph  Smith  the 
MarXru  and  that  he  was  acknowledged  b^God  as 
such,  the  doctrines  set  forth  by  Brigham   Young 
will  never  be  dead  issues.    If  any  man  says  that 
is  representing  the  Mormonism  of  to-day  (!  use  the 
term    "Mormonism"   to   designate    the  people  in 
Utah),  and  not  the  Mormonism  of  thirty  years  LO 
then  he  tacitly  acknowledges  that  all  we  claim  of 
Mormonism  as  taught  by  Brigbam  Young  and  hk 
colleagues  is  true;  and  by  ackaowledginl  this  ac- 
knowledges that  they  were  not  and  afe  not  correct 
representatives  of  the  faith. 

I  would  that  God  would  work  upon  the  heart* 
Of-t?e.,y°un«er   ^embers   of    the    Utah  Church 


»  a  iJ  gel  members  of  the  Utah  Church 
—and  older  ones,  too,  for  that  matter— until  thev 
would  arise  and  emancipate  themselves  from  the  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  bondage  in  which  they  are 
and  come  out  into  that  glorious  liberty  vouchsafed 
under  the  true  gospel  law.  I  do  not  blame  the 


ospe  aw.  do  not  blame  the 
younger  members  of  the  ministry  of  the  UtahChurch 
for  being  ashamed  of  what  has  been  done  and 
said  and  for  declining  to  be  bound  by  the  sermons 
preached  by  Brigham  Young  in  earl/ days;  but  let 
them  renounce  the  men  as  well  as  their  sentiments, 

™  ata^U  ^  T11'    Buutnas  lon£  as  the  de°ree  o 
God  stands,  that  men  shall  be  judged  according  to 
their  works,  just  that  long  men  cannot  be  accept^ 
We i  to  Goa  and  preach  and  practice  things  contrary 

'8         " 


NECESSITY  FOR  A   REORGANIZATION.  41 

T  "believe  the  sentiment  ex  pressed  by  one  of  Utah's 
leading  young  men,  as  quoted  below,  is  the  senti- 
ment of  thousands;  but  they  hesitate  to  express 
tnem.  Frank  J.  Cannon,  son  of  George  Q.  Cannon, 
in  a  speech  at  the  Republican  Convention  at  Min- 
neapolis, Minnesota,  in  1892,  when  opposing  the 
seating  of  certain  delegates  in  that  convention, 
said:— 

"When  the  Republican  party  declared  in  its 
platform  that  it  would  exterminate  the  twin-relic 
of  barbarism,  it  fought  one  with  'the  sword,  and  it 
fought  one  with  intelligence.  Thank  God  it  con- 
quered. It  conquered  with  the  sword;  and  when  it 
had  finished  its  work  in  the  .South,  it  wrote  with 
the  hand  of  peace  Fiat  finis.  Now  it  has  accom- 
plished just  so  much  in  Utah  by  schoolhouses,  by 
newspapers,  by  law,  and  by  the  growth  of  intelli- 
gence in  the  younger  people  of  the  Territory.  I 
say  that  now  has  come  the  time  to  let  the  angel  of 
peace  write  with  the  hand  to  Utah  again,  that  it 
may  no  longer  curse  the  nation  with  the  annoyance 
which  has  always  been  springing  up  in  the  demand 
for  legislative  measures.  We  want  freedom:  where 
ahali  we  appeal  for  it  except  to  the  Republican 
party,  which  is  the  only  guardian  of  freedom?  T 
say  if  you  seat  these  men,  you  seat  them  on  the  old 
issue;  they  do  not  know  that  Brigham  Young  is 
dead.  He  died  when  I  was  in  knickerbockers,  and 
I  decline  to  be  responsible  for  old  sermons  that  he 
uttered  in  the  early  days  of  Utah." 

Politically,  perhaps,  the  old  issues  may  be  laid 
aside;  but  from  an  ecclesiastical  standpoint  the  old 
issues  will  and  must  come  to  the  front  in  determin- 
ing who  represents  Christ  and  who  does  not.  Mr. 
Cannon  here  admits  that  the  doctrines  introduced 
by  Brigham  Young  have  cursed  the  nation,  and  if 
they  have  cursed  the  nation  they  could  not  have 
been  of  God. 

My  only  apology  for  writing  this  is  that  the  Utah 
Church  is  making  a  desperate  effort  to  get  a  foot- 
hold in  the  East,  and  the  saints  and  others  need 
fortifying  against  its  encroachments;  and  I  pra> 


NECESSITY  FOR  A  REORGANIZATION. 

au  the 


.  heart  and  a  wil- 

m         //™  w»«Mff  and  obedient  shall  cat  the 

good  oniie  land  of  Zion  in  these  last  days-  and  the 
rebdhom  shall  be  cut  off  out  of  the  land  ofiion?  and 
for  I  -.  TaW)a2/'uand  shal1  not  inherit  the  land: 
'  Say  thatheebellious  are  n°t  of  the 

be  plucked 


those 

Agam;  it  is  said  by  the  people  in  Utah  that:- 

•An^fnfh0^  We  a/e  rig:ht'  because  Daniel  says: 
And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of 

stroll  ."I*  HPta  k^gd°m'  Wh{oh  sba11  never  be  dl 
Deonle  hn?dA6  ^^om.hM  not  be  left  to  other 
>e 


Deonle  hn  e   e      o  oter 

>eople,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all 

D       mS    &nd       sha11  stand  for    ™™ 


Dan 
They  predicate  their  claim  to  bein?  riffht   unon 

not  h^ff  f*  l^  Daniel  say8  "the  kingdom  shPaU 
not  be  left  to  other  people.  »  But  we  of  the  Reor- 

dato8  Th«anv,Wlth,equal  propriety  make  Se*S 
Joseph  aSStifiSP11'  a?,coldin?  to  *  statement  by 
two  hnnH  ^  *V  ef°reJalluded  t0'  c°nsisted  of  about 
two  hundred  thousand  members  at  the  death  of  ita 

Mv  ,?]*,•  ^ST?,*  tha?  the  Utah  leaders  can  Possi- 
bly claim  that  followed  Brigham  Young  to  Utah 

were  between  ten  and  twenty  thousand.^  The  ma^ 
jority  of  its  recruits  have  been  from  the  countries 
of  Europe  mostly  Scandinavia  and  England,  and 
those  who  have  been  born  here  now  compose  the 
largest  part  of  their  membership.  While  on  the 
o  th-r  hand,  the  Reorganization  is  largely  composp^ 
'f  tn  >se  who  either  were  members  of  the  old  churcl, 


NECESSITY   FOR   A    RKOKG AN  1ZATION.  43 

r  their  children;  and  one  by  ono  it  has  absorbed 
.til  the  small  factions  that  sprung  up  at  the  death 
of  Joseph  Smith.  A  large  number  of  its  ministers 
are  sons  of  elders  in  the  early  church.  Its  Presi- 
dent, and  the  President  of  its  Twelve  Apostles,  are 
sons  of  the  founder  of  the  church;  so  we  could  make 
the  same  claim,  and  with  much  more  propriety,  be- 
cause the  inheritance  of  the  priesthood  and  its  offi- 
ces are  the  birthright  of  the  seed  of  Joseph  and 
some  of  his  colaborers.  And  we  say  to  all  Israel, 
that  we  are  not  only  preaching  the  Latter  Day  Saint- 
ism  of  to-day,  but  the  Latter  Day  Saintism  of  thirty 
and  sixty  years  ago;  having  had  no  occasion  to 
change,  having  never  taught  anything  that  has 
cursed  the  nation,  nor  the  individual;  but  that  un- 
changeable law  of  liberty,  that  truth  that  shall 
make  you  free;  that  perfect  law  of  God  mentioned 
by  the  Psalmist  David.  We  have  never  had  to 
apologize  for  the  doctrines  taught  by  our  leaders, 
neither  have  we  had  to  reverse  our  doctrines.  We 
have  laid  well  our  foundations  in  God's  holy  law, 
and  have  continued  therein  as  a  church. 

NOTE.— Page    two,    close    of    third    paragraph, 
should  read,  "if  he  continues  in  that  departure." 


